Nina and May break the circle by releasing everyone's hands. Nina is the first to make her way to the gateway. Smiling, she takes a deep breath and vanishes into Silverfay forest, the realm of familiars. May is so excited that she doesn't hesitate and rushes in after Nina. Nina I'm standing in the most enchanting gorgeous woodland I've ever seen. The trees are not just various colours of green but also pinks, purples, and blues. They generate a glow that gives the trees the appearance of being composed of diamonds. A silver mist floats in the air, glistening in the breeze. May slams into the back of me out of nowhere. 'Sorry,' she chuckles as I stare her down. ‘Wow! This place is beautiful.' She says. We begin exploring and come across a variety of animals. A sloth climbs a tree slowly as a bat hangs upside down on a branch. A possum pokes its head out of a tree hollow. 'Hello,' I say, waving at the animals. May gives me a strange look, then comes to a standstill and cast
I'm feeling more powerful than I've ever felt before. My veins are filled with a fresh wave of energy. 'This power,' I murmur, twisting my head to look over my shoulder at Reaper. 'Does this come from you?' Reaper squawks before responding over our mind-link. 'Yes, now that we're bonded, I can give you as little or as much power as you need.' 'Do you mean that what I'm feeling now isn't the whole extent of your power?' 'You mean our power, and no, not at all. Let's just pray that you'll never have to utilise the full amount.' 'What would happen if we had to utilise it all at once?' 'I'd very likely die.' I take a breather. 'Well, I'll make a mental note not to absorb it all,' I say. 'We'll see,' Reaper says. The portal to Shadow Crest has opened. 'It's time for you to meet your new family, Reaper.' I flash a smirk. 'Yes, I can't wait,' he answers unenthused. 'Don't be that way, Reaper. You'll adore them, and there are more familiars among the five other witc
It started around 7 a.m. with a series of caws. Magnus puts a pillow over his face and his ears. Unlike Magnus, I take my pillow and fling it at Reaper. As the pillow knocks him off the foot of our bed, his Caw switches to a squawk. 'Good morning to you too, Master,' he hisses via the mind-link. 'You're a Raven, not a Rooster, Reaper!' I growl. Magnus chuckles but stops as Reaper shoots him a death glare. I grab Magnus' pillow and toss it at Reaper, missing him by a centimetre. 'And stop staring at Magnus in that manner,' I say. 'Fine, I'm hungry for grubs anyway,' he adds before flying out the window. I roll onto Magnus, and we kiss and snuggle for a few moments before getting ready for the day. We can hear Fern, Ela, Ria, and Lilac giggling as they go down the stairs. When I opened my door, Lilac slides down the railing backwards. 'Skedaddle Dash,' Ela exclaims and vanishes. Ria races down the stairs while Fern leaps over the balustrade and skips half the steps. Magnus
When we hear the thunderous thuds, Magnus answers the door, 'What brings us the pleasure of welcoming the Wolf Council?' Magnus chirps. 'Alpha Magnus, we've come to talk about some fairly serious worries that have everyone on edge.' Alpha Bennet says. 'Please come in and join us in the dining room for some refreshments,' Magnus adds as he opens the door wider. Magnus frowns at the scores of men following them as they enter. 'Perhaps you could all go to the ceremony hall, where there is more room, and I'll get you food and refreshments?' The Alphas signal them to proceed to the ceremonial hall. Magnus was about to close the door when Ryker and Astrid arrived. 'I'm pleased you're here, Mum and Dad,' Magnus says. 'We want to reassure the wolf council that they have nothing to be concerned about.' Ryker explains. While the kitchen staff brings out beverages and nibbles, we take our seats at the table. 'So, what's this troubling news you've heard that has prompted you to come
'Ironically, I think it's in your best interests to know what we're doing to save this world from being destroyed, and maybe, by some miracle, you'll come to some type of mutual respect for us witches,' Fern says. 'It has been entrusted upon Yiselda for the previous two hundred years to take over Pandora's Box and stay there. It was known as the Midnight Covenstead for generations until the Vampire King sought revenge on the humans for the death of his blood flame. He summoned Shadow Reapers and Grimghouls and released them into the world. As a result, many werewolves were killed, and their territories were seized. It was only a matter of time before they infiltrated human settlements, and as you know, humans must never learn about the supernatural side of our world. Many witches banded together and used their power. We were able to imprison the Vampire King and his minions inside the Midnight Covenstead, where spells were put to keep them locked up for good. Centuries had passed
The chicken walks into the kitchen and pecks at random crumbs on the floor. 'This place is incredible. Do you think I could get a tour?' I ask Yiselda. 'Of course, as a Midnight Coven member, this is also your home now,' she says proudly. She leads us down a lengthy corridor. I'm perplexed because even though the Covenstead appeared to be quite significant from the outside, this hall seems to be at least still twice the outside length. As we proceed down the corridor, I notice that there are no doors, only old picture paintings of witches who were members of the midnight coven until they died or were killed. I come to a halt in front of one to observe its beauty more thoroughly. I take a step back. As the artwork moves, I leap back and scream. The witch in the portrait briefly bends her head and smiles before returning to her previous stance. 'Luna, what is it?' Lilac asks, concerned, as she places a hand on my shoulder. I point to the portrait. 'She moved,' I said. 'Oh, ye
A strange but warm sense overcomes me. I look to the darkness ahead, noticing crimson eyes staring right at me, flickering like a flame. My body feels drawn toward him, and my mind feels like it’s going a hundred miles per hour. My wand glows brightly enough to see two hands grasping the bars as I approach, his eyes still fixed on me. Strangely, I hear a husky whisper in my mind. ‘This way, come closer. It’s okay, so beautiful,’ the voice says. Without realising it, my hand stretches out to touch him. He grips my wrist gently, and I feel a slight burn on my wrist. Yiselda grabs my arm and pulls me back. ‘Be careful dear, that is the Vampire King, Alec,’ she warns. Then, raising her wand, his cell lights up. I glimpse his dark hair and light brown eyes before he flourishes his cloak over his face and retreats to the far corner. I examine my wrist and notice a peculiar mark. A strange sensation runs through my body. I shake it off and turn to face Alec. He lowers his cloak s
Reaper caws and taps his beak on the window. ‘Next time, you need to take me with you, Luna. You can’t just leave your familiar behind. It’s dangerous,’ Reaper mind-links. ‘The other witches didn’t take their familiars with them. So, I don’t see what the big deal is?’ ‘It’s a big deal, now let me inside… please,’ I open the window, and he flies toward me. He calms the moment he lands on my shoulder. His beak is pressed against my nose as I turn my face, and his eyes stare into mine. ‘Reaper, what the heck?’ I say. ‘There is something different about you. Did something happen at Pandora’s Box?’ ‘No Reaper, nothing happened,’ I frown. ‘I thought I sensed something odd whilst you were in Pandora’s Box. I was worried something had happened to you?’ 'Reaper, nothing happened. Let's take a walk outside.’ Ela's toad leaps down the front steps as I open the front door, 'I need some fresh air.' The witches are conversing beneath Reaper's moon tree. Ria's snake is dangling from